APTOS, Calif. – Neighbors Organized to Protect Our Community (NOPOC), an all-volunteer grassroots association, will host a community meeting in Watsonville to provide information about a proposed PG&E power line project and its impact on residents in the Green Valley/Pinto Lake/Mesa Village neighborhoods. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, August 6, at the Schapiro Knolls Community Room, 33 Minto Road, Watsonville.

PG&E has applied to the California Public Utilities Commission to replace existing wooden poles with massive tubular steel poles with an average height of 90' from the Green Valley substation, through a Watsonville subdivision, and across Pinto Lake County Park as part of the Santa Cruz 115 kV Reinforcement Project. The new poles, which will be four feet in diameter, will carry two 115,000-volt circuits over suburban streets and open park land.

The meeting will provide a forum for concerned citizens to discuss how to avert this industrial-scale development project. NOPOC members will outline the project's current status and lay out the group's plans to protect neighborhoods and the environment against this threat.

“Our goal is to reach out to Watsonville residents who may not be aware of PG&E's plans for their community," said Dr. Thomas Barker, a founding member of NOPOC. "Opposition to this project gained momentum in Corralitos and Aptos following meetings in those neighborhoods, and we anticipate a similar result in Watsonville. In fact, this proposed project will affect many who live and work in the South County, and everyone who appreciates the natural beauty of our area. Working together, we can ensure that the voice of the public is heard clearly throughout the entire decision-making process."

About NOPOC: Neighbors Organized to Protect Our Community is a grassroots association of Santa Cruz County residents and concerned citizens who are working together to preserve and protect the natural beauty and character of the community. The association seeks to raise awareness of the impact of the proposed PG&E Santa Cruz 115 kV Reinforcement Project on the environment, wildlife, livestock, agriculture, businesses, and homes in the affected area, and to propose environmentally responsible and economically effective alternatives.